The Hooded Angel
by SeriousSavage
Summary: Zella only wanted one thing: to do what she knew to be right. Well, not exactly. She also wanted to start a couple fights, get into trouble, and keep her work as well as her identity a secret. When the thing she fears most happens, she will go to any length to reverse it, even if it means hurting herself and those around her. Rated T just to be safe.
1. The Rider

**Chapter 1: The Rider**

Tomahawk whinnied, jolting me awake. I went over to soothe her, trying to see what had spooked her. Trouble for the horse was often trouble for me. I hadn't gotten into any fights lately, but I did realize that some people didn't appreciate my work. Well, who could blame them? There would always be a victim. Unfortunately for me, the victims would always be the rich and powerful.

I stood with Tommy for a good minute and, after seeing nothing, sighed and put out the smoldering coals from last night's fire. I concealed the ashes as best I could and packed up my bedroll. I ate an apple while saddling up my horse. After one last glanced at the campsite to make sure everything was in order, I pulled up the hood of my cloak and rode off.

I was a few miles west of Rivendell, heading towards Bree. I tended to avoid the elves and look for work elsewhere. Honestly, they frightened me. I wasn't sure how they would respond to what I did, and that unpredictability wasn't worth the risk. Plus, they were clever; and I couldn't risk getting caught.

My work generally centered on the race of men. They weren't smart enough to catch me.

I was about to try something new, though. Hobbits. I had never worked in their cities, but I thought that perhaps I wouldn't have to run there. Of course, I had no way of knowing whether or not that would happen. Not until I tried, anyway.

Tomahawk snorted and pricked her ears, slowing her pace. I pulled her to a stop and listened. Hoof beats slowly grew louder.

_Someone's coming._

I urged my mount into to nearest cover and tried to hide as best as I could. An elf rider flew past carrying another passenger in front of her. Tommy and I watched until we could neither hear nor see her.

"Huh. Look at that girl. Something's up in Rivendell. That looked urgent." I turned her around and tried to follow the rider, but she protested.

She pulled on the reins and tried to head west again, as if saying "no, Zella. Don't do it." Of course, I didn't listen to her. Curse me and my knack for getting into trouble.

We set off at a nice easy trot as I tried to justify going to an Elvin city.

"It's simple, really." I spoke aloud to the horse, trying to come off as confident when actually I was terrified.

I wasn't entirely sure why, but something about elves really set me on edge.

"That looked important, and if there's some new news, we should get it. Can't be too careful now, can we?" I gulped and slowed our pace a bit, dreading what I was doing.

_The decision has been made. Follow through. _

I took a few breaths, summoned my courage, and sped onward. The wind ruffled my hood and chilled my face. I pulled the cloak around tighter and encouraged Tomahawk into full speed.

As I rode, I formulated and plan. I would sneak around the city, pretending to be a lost young girl if I ever got caught. Elves understand stuff like that, right? At least, that's what I thought.

I pushed the fears aside and cleared my head in an attempt to focus. I would leave my horse a little ways outside of the city. Her vibrant red and white coat was too recognizable. Someone would figure out who I was, and I couldn't let that happen. I could never let that happen.

I would pick up gossip. That's the best way to get any information. I would figure out what, if anything, was going on and sneak out at night fall. Then I would head to Bree like planned.

"Alright. No big deal. I got this."


	2. The Meeting

**Chapter 2: Gossip**

I had been in the city for two days and heard nothing of importance to me. Arwen, the rider, had arrived with a hobbit who carried something of value, a ring or something. I didn't really care. Jewelry meant nothing to me. Upset and disappointed, I decided to leave at nightfall. I passed some maids as I was sneaking back to my hidden camp.

"There's supposed to be a meeting to decide the ring's fate," one was saying to the other.

"I heard that..." the other responded.

Their voices trailed off as they drifted away from me. Intrigued, I shadowed them.

"Tomorrow at midday," the first said, probably in response to a question.

I stopped and let them pass.

"Tomorrow at midday." I whispered to myself.

I could wait another day before leaving. A meeting to decide something's fate was always a big deal, and I could use with some information. Maybe then visiting Rivendell wouldn't be a complete waste of my time.

I woke up about mid morning. I changed into my costume that I had retrieved from outside the city the night before. What I was doing today would be risky and would be safer to go as "The Hooded Angel." I put my hair back in a bun, pulled up the hood, and covered my face with my mask. I had figured out the location of the meeting last night and headed over there. Scoping out the area, I realized it was an open courtyard. Easy to get into, but hard to hide.

I looked around and found that I could climb onto the roof of a neighboring building. I did, but soon discovered it wasn't exactly the best option. I could be seen by anyone coming towards the courtyard, it was hard to stay on the slanted roof, and I had to lay awkwardly to keep my head down so they couldn't see me on the other side. I was going to jump down and find a better hiding place, but someone came to enter the courtyard. I held still and, much to my relief, they passed without even glancing my way. Over the next hour, elves, dwarves, and men trickled into the meeting place. I laid on my stomach to better hear the meeting.

For the most part, it was boring. Politics, really. Stuff my father would be interested in, but not me. I learned that the ring they were fussing over was the fabled ring of power and it needed to be destroyed. The meeting was just a debate on who would complete the task. The dwarves didn't want to elves to take it. The elves didn't want the dwarves to take it. The men wanted to use it to protect their lands. Eventually they agreed on two men, an elf, a dwarf, a wizard, and four hobbits would take it.

"Yeah, yeah. Big deal." I muttered to myself, bored. This was good information to have, but it was dull.

After multiple hours, the council had finished. I stretched and tried to soothe my sore and tense back. I took a deep breath and waited for everyone to disband so I could get out of here. I was ready to continue onward in my own journey.

"Legolas, Aragorn." A voice I recognized from the council spoke up.

I listened while secreting wishing them to take their conversation elsewhere.

"I want you to keep an eye out for the Hooded Angel." The voice was saying, "I do not think he means ill, but he may try to take the ring and destroy it himself."

_Why would I do that? That's not the kind of work I do, idiot. _

By now I was used to being called a man. No one thought a woman let alone a girl could do anything like the things I do.

They talked a bit more about me before leaving. Sighing in relief, I dropped down from the roof. I straightened up and came face to face with an elf. My eyes went wide as I panicked and tried to think of what to do.

**Hope you liked this one! I know it's short, but it's late and that's all I could come up with. I decided not to bore you with the making of the fellowship scene, so I mostly just skipped it. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Until then, Follow, Favorite, and Review!**


	3. Escape

**Chapter 3**

Adrenaline pumped through my veins and my heart rate soared. I kicked him in the gut and took off running. I knew my feeble attack wouldn't hold him off for long, but it would but me a little time. I zigzagged through streets and alleys, trying to lose him. Surprisingly, not only was he able to follow me, but he was catching up to me. I ran faster, desperate to get away.

_I cannot be caught. I cannot be caught. I cannot be caught. _

The same four words repeated them selves in my mind, spurring me forward.

As we neared the gates, I whistled for Tommy as loud as I could. Hopefully she would be able to hear me over all the commotion.

I shoved past the guards and bolted into the forest. I could hear the elf following me while calling out something in elvish. His voice quickly grew louder as he got closer to me.

_C'mon, Tommy. Save me. _

My silent prayer was answered with the sound of hoof beats. My horse ran up beside me, allowing me to haul myself up onto her back. I urged her into a full gallop and we sped away. I glanced behind me to see that the elf had stopped running and was now watching us ride away. Others ran up beside him, but he waved them away, never taking his eyes off of me.

I made Tomahawk run until I could no longer see Rivendell over the tops of the trees. Only then did I allow myself to pull of the mask and calm down. We slowed our pace and stopped beside a stream. I slid off her back and realized that we left the saddle back by the city.

_Oh well. We'll get another one. It's not like I'm short on money. _

I stroked Tommy's red and white coat and watched her take a long drink. The saddle was a minor inconvenience, but it would cost me a lot of time. I sat in a shady patch of soft grass and thought of my options. I would have to head to Gondor. There was no getting out of that. I had already exhausted all of my funds, and I would have to head home to collect more. Sighing, I pulled out my map to decide a route.

I determined I was at the edge of the Trallshaws forest, likely not far from the Last Bridge. I studied the map for close to an hour before I decided to take a route that skirted Lorien and took me through Rohan. I could probably find some work there. I knew it was probably the longest trip I could take, but I would do anything to prolong my absence from home.

"Well, Father. Looks like your beloved daughter is finally returning."

**This chapter is pretty short, but a lot happened. I'll try to make the next one longer and reveal a few secrets. Thank you all for your support. I love your enthusiasm. I might get the next chapter up later tonight, if you're lucky. Please Follow, Favorite, and Review! It means the world to me. **


	4. Memories

**Chapter 4**

As we traveled, I thought back to the incident in Rivendell. The fear came rushing back as I recalled how close I was to that elf. I couldn't believe I had almost blown my cover. I could only think of one other time that that had happened. I closed my eyes and felt the steady sway of Tomahawk's walking. I let the calming sound of her hoof beats take me back in my memories.

_It was a cold summer day. Clouds had blocked out the sun, casting a misty gloom over everything. The morning frost hadn't melted off. I shivered, but didn't move to warm myself. I had wandered into this little town to look for work, but it was almost midday and I hadn't been successful. I walked through the streets in search of a mother, a child, a dog, anything that would provide me with a job. Finally, I found something. It was a big jump from what I usually did, but at this point I would take anything over nothing. I took up a hiding place and watched, as I always did before starting my work._

_ A man was arguing with a woman whom I presumed to be his wife. I watched for several minutes and was about to dismiss it as a simple quarrel when things got heated. The man's voice got louder as he slapped his wife. She staggered back and begged him to leave her alone. He growled and hit her again. And again. And again. She fell into a sobbing heap into the mud. He kicked her. _

_ I made a rash decision. Instead of throwing rocks at him from a roof and making him chase me, I stepped between them and stared him down. _

_ "Oh, look. The Hooded Angel came to save you. You want to save her? Show me your face." _

_ I didn't move. I didn't speak. I had frozen up with fear as I realized just how large this man was. I tried to put a hard glint in my eyes as I looked at him through my mask. _

_ "Quiet fellow, eh?" He went to hit me, but I caught his hand and pushed him back. _

_ He staggered from my unexpected actions, but soon came recovered. He had a sick, sadistic grin on his face, showing his crooked, blackened teeth. _

_ "Tell you what, Angel. You beat me, I leave that scum alone. I win, I expose who you are to everyone. There are a lot of people who would pay a pretty penny for your head." _

_ Again, I just watched him. I wanted to start a verbal argument to disorient him and buy me some time to form a plan, but if I spoke he would realize I was actually a girl, and then I would be in heaps of trouble. _

_ I shook my head slowly. Astonishment showed on his face. Taking my half-second chance, I kicked his groin. He doubled over in pain. I cracked my elbow down on the back of his neck before whistling for Tommy. I grabbed the woman out of the mud and dragged her away. She protested at first, but then realized I was helping her and ran with me. Tomahawk caught up with us. I jumped on and pulled the wife up behind us. _

_ "Hey! Don't run, you coward!" _

_ I glanced behind me to see the man chasing after us. I urged Tommy into a gallop and we sped out of the city. I could hear the man cursing behind us, but his voice soon faded. _

_ I took the woman a couple miles outside of the city before stopping. She slid of the horse and I jumped down beside her. _

_ "The Hooded Angel," she said slowly, as if she were pondering her words. "I thought you did simple things, like plowing fields and giving food to the needy. I never thought you would be a hero. _My_ hero." _

_ I didn't respond, but pointed in the direction of the city I wanted her to go to. I hoped she would be safe there._

_ She sighed. "I can't leave without knowing the face of my savior."_

_ I pointed again, but she ignored me. Slowly, she reached for my mask. I panicked and grabbed her hand harshly. I shook my head slightly before letting her go and getting into the saddle. I pointed again towards the city before galloping off. I only looked back once to see her finally following my unspoken instructions. _

I took a deep breath as the memory left me. It had happened a year ago, but I could recall it like yesterday. That was the closest I had ever come to being discovered. Since then I had become more cautious and hadn't had another incident. Well, until yesterday that is.

_"I do not think he means ill, but he may try to take the ring and destroy it himself."_

I repeated the words from yesterday and thought about them.

_"I thought you did simple things, like plowing fields and giving food to the needy."_

I laughed quietly. I usually only did simple things, but the elves probably thought I would interfere because of that one time. The one time I was stupid. That's why I'm being hunted.

I knew that wasn't fair. I wasn't really being hunted, but I did have to be careful. If I cross paths with "Legolas" or "Aragorn" they may find out who I am. And that would be very, very bad. I decided I would still go through Rohan, but I wouldn't linger. Then I would stay home until this whole thing blows over.

I gulped as I realized that could be months. I'd have to wait for this "Ring of Power" to be destroyed, and then a few more weeks to make sure everything is clear. I shuddered at the idea of abandoning my work and staying with my parents for six or seven months.

"Well, at least we'll have the stable boy to keep us company, eh Tommy?" I patted her neck as I thought about the stable boy.

He was the only one who knew my true identity. He was the only one who knew that the great Hooded Angel was actually me, just plain old Zella. He was the only person I trusted. I smiled at the thought of seeing him again. I never spent much time with him, my father made sure of that, but I cherished the moments we did have. I could never remember his name, but he didn't mind. It was because of him that I got my start. I smiled as the memory came to me.

_It was a warm August day. It was late in the afternoon, and I decided to go for a ride. I was about to enter the stable when I heard my father yelling inside. Fearing his wrath, I waited outside for him to finish. _

_ "You stupid boy! You can't do anything right!"_

_ "I'm sorry, my lord. It won't happen again."_

_ "That's because there won't be an 'again.' If you can't do your duties properly, you'll be dismissed. Do you understand me?" _

_ "Yes my lord. I'll do better." _

_ I could hear my father huff in annoyance before storming out of the stable. A bucket clattered loudly, and I assumed he had kicked it. I pressed myself against the side of the stable so he wouldn't see me, but he was in so much of a rage he just stormed back to the house. I took a few breaths of relief before turning to enter the stable. A summer afternoon ride would do me good after hearing something like that. _

_ "Well," I could hear the stable boy sneering to himself, and I paused to listen. "If I wasn't so rushed to do everything I wouldn't do it wrong. I'm sorry that you can't realize that there are only so many hours in a day." _

_ I entered the stable just then and helped him pick up the spilled contents of the bucket. He looked up at me in utter shock. _

_ "Oh, no, my lady. You don't have to do that." _

_ "I want to. Father had no right to get upset with you like that. You're trying your hardest." I looked up at him and smiled. "And please, call me Zella." _

_ I stood up and handed the bucked to him. He took it and we stood there for a minute. Feeling guilty that I hadn't done much to help, I told him that I would take care of Frejya so he wouldn't have to. _

_ "No." He replied firmly. _

_ I jumped at his boldness. "Excuse me?" _

_ "I mean, I can't let you do that much for me. I don't want to risk getting you in trouble." _

_ I studied him for a minute before replying. _

_ "Alright. I'll saddle her before my rides, unsaddle her afterward, and brush her as well." _

_ He sighed and shrugged before walking off to do his chores. _

That's when it all started. My work. Being the Hooded Angel. I loved the way I felt when I secretly did some of his chores for him. He always knew it was me, but he was a good sport about it and pretended it was an angel. Once I took my work beyond my own estate, I think he was the one who started the name. Ever since then, I've been doing secret acts.

I always start with watching and listening, like I did that day. Then I do something that means the world to them, but is really simple. Like plowing a struggling farmer's field in the middle of the night. Or giving money to families who are going to lose everything because of a debt they can't pay. It's so small, what I do. But I love it, and so do the people I help.

**This one's significantly longer than the others, but it's still shorter than I would like it to be. Hopefully they get longer soon. Please take a moment to review. Even if you say one word. "Good" is all I need. "It's great" is better and I would love a "I love it!" Constructive criticism is always welcome. Just, review. I'll probably get the next chapter up tomorrow. **


	5. Lorien

**Chapter 5**

It took us over a week to cross the Misty Mountains. The treacherous slopes proved to be a setback, but luckily Tomahawk was bred and raised in the mountains. Otherwise, I don't think we would have gotten over them.

It was early in the morning when we got our start. It was an exceptionally cold night, one that had kept me up shivering. My eyes stung from lack of sleep, but I splashed some water on my face and forced myself to start going. We forged across the Nimrodel before following it for a while. I could see Lorien in the distance. I shivered from the cold and the wet and let Tommy take a slow, sleepy pace. I was in no rush to meet more elves.

Around midday I adjusted I course slightly so we would skirt the edge of Lorien. Tomahawk pricked her ears and nickered.

"What?" I said, startled. "What is it?"

She nickered again and broke into a trot that quickly escalated into a canter. I pulled on her mane, trying to slow her down and regain control. She tossed her head and kicked, almost throwing me off. I hung on tight as she whinnied in fear and launched into a full-out gallop. I glanced behind us and saw a hoard of orcs bearing down the mountain. I urged Tommy onward, trying to get her to go faster. We had a slowly growing lead on them, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I started looking around for somewhere to hide. Some place where I could wait it out. I didn't think they were hunting me, but I knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I got in their way. I could see nothing that would provide any sort of covering except for the trees of Lorien. Before I had a chance to decide, Tommy turned sharply and plunged deep into the forest.

Panicked, I tried to slow her down, change her course, anything to get us closer to the edge of the forest. She ignored my feeble attempts and kept running. I dug my heels in her sides, but that just made her buck me off. I hit the ground hard and watched her gallop away. I stayed there for a moment to catch my breath before standing up and brushing the dirt off of me. When I looked up, I can face to face with an arrow. I put my hands up and took a step back. The elven archer gave me a fierce look before lowering his weapon and making a hand motion. I glanced to my sides to see I was surrounded by elves. I tried my best to hide a shudder and control my fear.

"The White Lady had been expecting you, Zella of Gondor."

They lead me through the forest, allegedly to "the white lady." I had heard something about her once, but I couldn't remember what. I tried to take in as much of my surroundings as I could, but the oppressive number of elves kept me from looking around too much.

_Welcome, Zella. One who is known as the Angel. _

The voice made me stop in my tracks. No one seemed to notice anything strange, so I kept walking and tried to pretend that it didn't happen.

_I must have imagined it. There's only one person who knows who I am, and he would never tell anyone. _

After a few more minutes of silence, I was able to convince myself that I really did imagine it. I tried not to dwell on the details. I knew I would find something to make myself believe that I wasn't imagining it if I did.

**This one was going to be long, but I ran out of ideas. :/ I'll update again tomorrow, though. That one will be have a lot going down. And...spoiler. She'll catch up with the Fellowship in a little while. :) Can't wait to write that part. I have some great things planned. **


	6. The Mirror

**Chapter 6**

The guards took me to a clearing before leaving. I looked around. It seemed as if I was in some courtyard of sorts. There were stairs in front of me and pillars marking the edge of the clearing, but that was about it.

_Wow. Do these elves live in the trees or something?_

_Yes, actually._

I jumped in surprise. That wasn't my voice or my thought, but it was in my head.

_Who are you? Get out of my head!_

_ I am Lady Galadriel. I believe you know me as the white lady. _

_ Uh huh. That's great. How 'bout you come talk to me like a normal human being?_

Silence. For a minute, I felt anxious, afraid I had offended her and the elves were going to kill me. I tensed in anticipation for the worst.

Instead, a beautiful woman came down the stairs and stood in front of me.

"Dang, girl." I muttered to myself.

She scrunched up her face in confusion. I gulped.

"You could hear that, couldn't you? Mother said elves were like that."

Now that I thought about it, most of what I knew about elves came from my mother. My father never spoke of them. Mother, on the other hand, thought them to be romantic. She told me everything she knew about them, and told me that one day she would visit them. That's what she wanted. To just see an elf. To get close enough to touch one. For some reason though, her praising descriptions appalled me. I think that's where I developed my fear of them. Where my mother was fascinated, I was scared half to death.

"Why is that?" Galadriel spoke, ripping me away from my thoughts.

"I thought I told you to get out of my head." I snapped at her, but was immediately repentant.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be rude."

She cocked her head and smiled slightly.

After my conversation with Galadriel, a guard escorted me to my "room." Turns out they really do live in trees. I sat on my bed, feeling good. I had washed my face and changed into a clean set of clothes. Unfortunately for me, I had to wear an elven nightgown. Oh well. It was better than nothing. I stared up at the leaves and thought about Tomahawk. *I hope she comes back.* I shrugged and dozed off. I'd find her again, eventually. When I opened my eyes again, it was completely dark outside. I stretched and was about to crawl under the covers and go to bed when I heard something. A thought in my mind. _come with me_ Stifling a yawn, I got up and peeked out of the door. I could see Galadriel walking past. She glanced up at me, but made no move to indicate she had put the thought in my mind. I groaned quietly. _Not her again._ Reluctantly, I climbed down the ladder and followed her. When we reached our destination, she picked up a pitcher, filled it with water, and poured it into a bowl.

"Will you look into the mirror?"

I looked at her, dumbfounded.

"It's just a bowl of water, not a mirror."

She looked offended and astonished for a moment, but then smiled.

"It shows the events of the future."

"Sure it does. But the future is ever changing. So, whatever I see isn't likely to actually happen."

I could tell I frustrated her, but she kept her cool.

"It will show you the future that will happen if you stay on the path you are on."

I could tell that if I made another remark I would push my luck too far, so I held my hair back and stepped up to the pedestal. I leaned over the basin and gazed into the water.

_I was riding Tommy. We were running fast. I could feel terror pounding in my chest. I looked behind me to see an elf pursuing me. I couldn't see his face, but I thought he might be the same one who I ran into in Rivendell. I urged Tomahawk on, but her pace was slowing. She was wearing out. I pulled my hood down farther over my face. I wasn't wearing my mask. I had a strange sense that I had lost it._  
_The elven rider caught up to me. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me off my horse. I struggled to stay on, but he was much stronger than me. I grabbed his arm in an attempt to make him let go, but I only succeeded in dragging him down with me. I tried to run, but he had an iron grip on my shoulder. He stood me up and threw my hood off._  
_There was a distortion in the image and I could tell I was in a different scene. It was dark and I was cold. I could tell I was soaking wet. Raindrops hit me, but I barely noticed them through my trembling. There was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. I screamed, but could barely hear myself over the storm. A figure in front of me turned to look at me. I could barely see him through the rain. There was another crack of thunder and I ran to him. I could feel his body tense with surprise as I clung to him in fear. I sobbed in terror of the storm as he gently stroked my hair._  
_There was another distortion and I found myself in the stable back home. The soft light behind me told me it was just before dawn. I could tell I was quietly saying something, but the words sounded muffled. I looked to my left and saw the elf. By now I was convinced that this was the elf from the first image as well as Rivendell. I was smiling at him reassuringly and he returned the look._  
_Something made me turn around there, standing at the other end of the stable, was the stable boy. He was holding a bucket of feed for the horses. I tried to call out to him, but he dropped the bucket and ran off. Something told me he was headed towards the house. Towards my father._  
_Again, the water distorted. I felt my body slam into something soft. I looked up to see the elf on top of me. He had my arms pinned above my head and was staring at me intently. My heart pounded with pure terror. I tried to stay calm as I struggled to get my arms free. My plight was useless and panic hit me as I realized I was vulnerable to his will. He smirked as I looked at him pleadingly._*

I stepped back from the water. I gasped for breath and tried to bring my heart rate back down to a normal rate. After a moment, I looked at Galadriel with wide eyes. She said nothing. I took a few deep breaths before saying something.

"Is...will that...?" I was still breathing hard from the leftover feelings of fear from the visions.

_I was found out by an elf! And not only that, I actually went to him for comfort and took him to my father. Why on earth would I ever do that?! And, to make matters worse, I was fairly certain that my stable boy took it the wrong way. The last one...the last one... I could even begin to decipher and understand the events and meaning of the last vision._

"What you saw is what will come to pass."  
"Earlier you said it was just a possibility.  
Her change of words startled me, making me take a step back. She looked down slightly, as if she were concealing something.  
"This fate will be harder to change than most." She didn't meet my eyes.  
"Why? Why is that? Tell me!"  
She looked up at me with an intensity that was frightening.  
"He saw the same things."

**There you have it. I was in the mood for some drama. Sorry this update took forever. I'm going through a few changes in my regular routine, but I'll try to jeep these updates as regular as possible. **


	7. Legolas

**Chapter 7**

Earlier...

**Legolas**

It was shortly after dusk when the white lady called upon me. I found her in a pavilion. There was a pedestal with an empty basin on it in the center. She poured water into the basin from a silver pitcher.

"Do you wish to look in the mirror?"

I nodded and stepped up to the pedestal. I knew it was a great honor to be allowed to look into the mirror.

The water rippled slightly.

_I was on a white horse, pursuing the Hooded Angel. I could feel pain coursing through my body. The Angel turned to look at me, but I couldn't see his face. He urged his horse forward, but it was tiring. Soon I would be able to overtake him. The rider pulled his hood down farther as I caught up to him. I grabbed his shoulder and was surprised by his small frame. I started pulling him off of his horse. He made a few feeble attempts to stay on his mount before giving up and grabbing my arm. The dead weight caught me off guard and caused me to fall off. I tightened my grip on the Angel and stood him up. I could feel my excitement rising as I pulled back his hood. _

_ The colors swirled and a new scene appeared. It was dark and raining, but the weather didn't bother me. I was walking through an unfamiliar forest, looking for some form of shelter. There was a crack of lightning and a scream. I turned to see a girl. I had a sense that I knew her, but I didn't recognize her face. The thunder cracked again and she came running to me, terrified of the storm. I tensed as she suddenly threw her arms around me and cried in fear. I relaxed as I realized what she was afraid of. Trying to comfort her, I stroked her hair. _

_ Again, the colors swirled. I was warm and dry in a stable. It was just before dawn. The girl was standing next to me, stroking the nose of a horse. She was saying something, but her words were garbled. Someone entered the stable, making both of us look. There stood a stable hand, his jaw dropped in astonishment. The girl called out to him, but he dropped the bucket of feed he was holding and started running. To where, I wasn't sure. _

_ The scene swirled away in a mixture of colors and I found myself in a room. I could tell it was someone's bedchambers. I had flipped the girl onto the bed and was kneeling over her, pinning her arms above her head. I stared straight down at her frightened face. She struggled to free herself, but I held her tight. Her body froze in terror as she realized she couldn't get away. I could feel that my intentions were different than they seemed. That I was trying to tell her something important and she was refusing to listen. I smirked, relived that I finally had her attention. _

The images disappeared and I stepped back from the water.

"Milady, who was the girl in the visions?"

Galadriel smiled at me.

"Only time will tell."

**OOH! Another chapter on the same day. I just couldn't wait to write this one. **

**So...now we've seen things from both perspectives. That changes things a little. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get this story moving. You can expect the two of them to meet in another chapter or two. **


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